


Gold

by lacqueluster (GG_and_MM)



Series: Sabriel in Color [5]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M, Sabriel - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 01:23:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8824534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GG_and_MM/pseuds/lacqueluster
Summary: Gabriel gets Sam a Christmas present.





	1. Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel gets Sam a very special Christmas present.

Sam’s feet shuffle a little on the hall floor. That’s from sleepiness, and from being relaxed, feeling like he’s at home. Gabriel knows this because Sam has always moved in silence, years of training ingrained in the hunter the importance of being quiet. His life might literally depend on it at any moment. But now that they’re here, in the bunker, Sam has finally settled in and let his guard down a little. He lets his feet shuffle. 

Gabriel watches him round the corner into the library, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he yawns. He's wearing a pair of short boxer briefs that Gabriel gave him; they're covered in Moose. Sam had protested when Gabriel snapped them up, rolling those beautiful hazel eyes, but Gabriel knew he secretly loved them. Or maybe Sam knows how much Gabriel loves them and that's why he wears them so often. 

Sam's eyes aren’t even fully open. Who knows why he’s awake at this hour.

“Why aren’t you in bed?” Sam mumbles.

So that’s why he’s awake. Sam missed the angel by his side. Gabriel warms a little thinking about that, knowing Sam noticed he was gone. He doesn’t answer as he lounges on the couch. He watches Sam instead, waiting for him to wake up enough to take in his surroundings.

Sam’s arms fall to his side, relaxed after a big stretch, and he blinks blearily. “What the…” His voice trails away as he finally sees the room. When his eyes land on Gabriel again they’re big and round. “You know Dean’s gonna kill you for this, right?”

Gabriel stands, his arm sweeping the room with a flourish. The lights brighten and flicker as his fingers fan past them. “Oh come on, Samshine. You said you always wanted a big family Christmas growing up, you think I’m gonna miss the chance to give it to you?”

Sam slowly moves toward the Christmas tree, his eyes bright in the glow of millions of tiny lights. “I thought you said we don’t even celebrate Christmas on the right day, that we got all this stuff wrong, you said--“

“Seriously?” Gabriel cuts in. “I did all this and you’re going to argue with me about dates?” He’s laughing as he chastises Sam. He knew Sam would argue over details, he always does. He never forgets something Gabriel tells him.

Sam’s finger catches a gold angel ornament, making it twirl. His head tilts back, looking up and up, realizing the full height of the tree. “How tall is this thing?”

“Taller than you,” is all Gabriel says as he moves up beside Sam to admire the tree.

“Yeah, I noticed,” Sam’s eyes narrow as he studies the top of the tree. “Is that a moose-- with wings?”

Gabriel looks up at the tree topper, his eyes alight with humor. “Mmm, yes. And a halo. I'm kinda proud of that little touch. Our theme is “Moose and Angels.” Do you like it?”

Sam looks over the tree, noticing all the different ornaments. Moose skiing, fishing, drinking cocoa wearing scarves and coats, some are holding hands with angels. And there are angels riding motorcycles, eating candy, dancing like ballerinas, halos hovering over their heads. 

Sam turns, looking around the room. There are multiple trees, all decorated in gold. There’s garland and tinsel scattered throughout, flickering lights hanging from every edge and corner, and the mantel has a centerpiece of a moose and an angel, each at least three feet tall. It looks like they're singing. Probably Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer, Sam imagines.

“I can’t believe you did all this, Dean is--“

Gabriel puts a finger to Sam’s lips, finally making Sam look down at him. “I know, I know, he’s gonna kill me. But if my Moose wants a family Christmas my Moose gets a family Christmas. Besides, I gave him and Cas an ornament too.”

He points them out to Sam, a squirrel driving an Impala and a bee keeper angel wearing a trench coat. Sam snorts a laugh, his arms slipping around Gabriel’s shoulders to pull him closer.

“This is amazing, Gabe, I’m just…” He shakes his head, looking for the words.

“What, this?” Gabriel gestures around again, “This is the tip of the iceberg. We’ve got a big breakfast waiting, cinnamon rolls dripping icing, bacon and eggs, French toast drenched in syrup, and all different kinds of crepes. Then we’ll have a big traditional dinner with all the trimmings, you know old Dean-o will love that, am I right?” He wiggles his eyebrows and Sam grins, about to speak. “Wait,” Gabriel holds a finger up, “I’m not done. This is the most important part, Sam. I don’t want to forget.” He steps away and Sam watches with curiosity as Gabriel pulls a golden box out from behind the tree, presenting it to him.

“You got me a gift?” Sam asks, and the amazement in his tone almost breaks Gabriel’s heart.

“’Course I did, what’s Christmas without gifts?”

Sam takes the box with reverence, his hands gentle on the sides.

“Don’t shake it,” Gabriel warns, and Sam’s eyebrows draw together a little in concern.

He moves to the couch and sits, pulling the bow on the ribbon carefully. He lifts the lid on the gilded box and sets it aside, hesitantly looking over the edge. The look on his face when he sees what’s in it is enough to make an archangel weep.

“Gabe,” he whispers, pulling out the wiggling ball of golden fur.

It’s sniffing and snuffing in Sam’s face, licking and squirming, wanting to get as close to possible to this amazing new human. Gabriel can’t blame the pup, that’s how he always feels with Sam too. Her tail is going a mile a minute and Sam looks like he might laugh and cry at the same time as he tucks her into his chest.

“You got me a dog?” He finally turns his eyes toward the angel and he looks for all the world like a kid on Christmas morning.

That’s exactly what Gabriel had hoped for. “Technically I got us a dog, if that’s okay with you,” he moves to the couch to sit beside Sam, smiling when the little dog licks his cheek. “I think she likes me, I picked her out special, told her all about her new Dad on the way here. She seemed a little nervous to have a moose for a Dad at first, but I think she’s warming up to the idea now.”

Sam rolls his eyes before kissing Gabriel’s temple. “So it’s a girl?”

“She is indeed.”

Sam lifts her up to look into her face. “Aren’t you just the prettiest baby girl ever,” he says in a sing song voice that he saves for babies and dogs. He kisses her head and smiles when she licks his chin. “What’s her name?” Sam can’t take his eyes off the puppy, smiling down at her as she bites his finger.

“Up to you, kiddo. You get the honors.”

Sam watches the puppy for a long time, taking in her face and paws, soft ears and fluffy fur. He watches her fall asleep, Gabriel beside him, their hands laced together. He looks around the room, taking in the decorations, so much gold glinting in the light, even the box the puppy came in. He finally turns to the angel, watching the eyes flecked with gold as they study him.

“How about Sona?”

Gabriel can’t hide his surprise. He’d forgotten that they were discussing names. He’d slipped into casual silence with Sam while the puppy drifted off to sleep on the hunter's lap. He has to focus again, remember the conversation before he answers. “You mean like the Hindi name?”

Sam nods, looking closely for a reaction from the angel. “It means golden.”

“It’s usually a boy name,” he shrugs, “but I think it fits her.”

Sam leans in slowly, so as not to wake the puppy, and presses a soft kiss to the angel’s lips. “Thank you,” he whispers, “I wish I had a gift for you.”

Gabriel rests his forehead into Sam, thankful every second for this man. “I don’t need one, Sam, I just need you. You’re my gift.”

He can feels Sam’s mouth turn to a smile, pressed to the side of his face. “You know Dean’s really gonna kill you, right?”

Gabriel chuckles softly. “Let him try, Moose. Let him try.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'd like to leave this with a fluffy and happy ending then please stop here. (I don't blame you one bit.)


	2. Part Two

**Fourteen Years Later**

“I don’t want to let her go, Gabe. I’m not ready.” Sam is sitting on the floor, the big dog somehow looking small wrapped in his arms. She’s settled into his lap with a heavy sigh as Sam pets her head, tears dripping from his chin.

“I know you don’t, Sam, but it’s time. She’s tired, she hurts, we need to let her go.” Gabriel sets across from him on the floor, one hand on the dog and the other on Sam’s thigh, trying to comfort them both despite feeling like his heart is being ripped out.

“I know,” Sam nods, sniffing his nose and blinking through tears, “I know we do. You’ll take her, right? You won’t let her be alone? I don’t want her to be alone.” A sob racks Sam and he leans over the dog, blanketing her body with his.

Gabriel moves in closer, as close as he can. His hands threading through Sam’s hair, massaging his neck. “I’ll take her through The Gates myself, I’ll deliver her to Heaven on my wings, I promise. She won’t be alone, she’ll be with all the other animals waiting on their humans to get to Heaven.”

Sam raises his head but he doesn’t meet Gabriel’s eyes. “Are you just telling me that to make me feel better?”

Gabriel pulls Sam’s head up, looking into his bloodshot eyes. “I would never do that, Sam. Never. Who deserves to go to Heaven more than dogs and cats and birds and fish and all the animals that make humans happy? Of course they’re in Heaven. And Sona will have endless balls to chase and never-ending treats and more dogs to play with then she can ever imagine. And I can go check on her, I’ll check on her every day if you want, and some day she’ll be standing there when you walk through those gates. She’ll be waiting for you, wagging her tail and just as happy to see you as that first Christmas morning, okay? I promise you that, Sam Winchester, I wouldn’t lie to you about that.” Gabriel is crying now too, he’d wanted to keep it together for Sam but he couldn’t, he wasn’t strong enough.

Sam buries his face in her fur with a nod. “Okay,” he breathes, and Gabriel knows he’s finally ready.

Sam rocks her as the angel touches her soul, pulling it free and tucking it between his wings, and then he soars. He flies through the gates, twisting and turning and feeling her delight. He sets down in a field of dogs, barking and playing, and he gently releases her.

“You be a good girl, Sona. You be ready for Sam, okay? He’ll be here some day and he’ll be looking for you.” She licks his face one last time and then bounds away.

His sister crosses the field slowly, her wings stretching as she watches him. She stops by his side, watching the dogs with him, waiting for him to speak.

“Take good care of that one,” he finally says, knowing she knows exactly which one he brought. “She’s special.”

The angel nods, looking on as Sona wrestles with another dog. “They all are, brother, but I will.”

Gabriel takes flight, moving back to earth quickly. He lands next to Sam, pulling the hunter into his arms to hold him while he sobs. He was gone less than a minute but he feels like he abandoned Sam, and he digs his fingers into Sam’s back as he tries to console him. Or maybe he’s consoling himself, he’s not sure.

They bury Sona in a field outside the bunker, her grave marked with a stone engraved with golden letters. Dean pretends he doesn’t cry but Sam sees him swipe at his eyes with the back of his arm, and Cas admits he’s already been to visit her in Heaven.

“She was very busy with the other dogs but she stopped to lick my hand,” he says seriously, and something in this strikes Sam as funny.

He laughs, his arm around Gabriel’s shoulder, and Gabriel’s hand squeezes his hip.

“You’ll see her again someday, Sam,” Cas says in finality, and Sam nods a thank you toward the other angel.

“I know I will,” he says, “but I’ll miss her like crazy in the meantime.”

“We all will, Sammy,” Dean says gruffly, “c’mon, let’s go get a beer.” He turns and leads the way back inside, his arm wiping at his eyes.

Sam stays a moment longer, seeing Gabriel glance back at him. He bends down and presses a kiss to the stone, and then he looks up toward the sky with tears in his eyes. “I’ll see you again, baby girl. You be good up there.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry. I know this ending is a hard one. It made me cry writing it, which always makes me feel guilty when I know other people are going to read it. 
> 
>  
> 
> I had a friend lose her dog around the time I wrote this, and it really helped me to feel better thinking about our pets waiting for us on the other side. I get so attached to animals and the idea of them just being gone is more than I can stand, so writing this helped give me some comfort. I especially liked the image of Gabe carrying her away on his golden wings. 
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you all don't hate me too much for this.


End file.
